BINGEN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
 

Special Meeting

June 10, 2007

The special meeting was called to order by Mayor Prigel at 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of discussing the proposed Police Chief Employment Contract between Bruce Brending and the City of White Salmon. Council members present: Terry Trantow, Sandi Dickey, Tim Hearn, Betty Barnes, and Laura Mann.  Attorney Tad Connors was present. Audience: Bob Landgren, Catherine Landgren, Lori Kreps.

Mayor Prigel called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm and offered those assembled a brief synopsis of events and actions leading to the proposed contract. Mayor Prigel also addressed what involvement the Bingen city council would have in the event  the proposed contract led to any potentially adverse financial consequences for the City of Bingen. He noted that the Interlocal Law Enforcement Agreement requires Bingen only to pay its share of budgeted costs and any costs or expenses that exceed the annual budget for the police department would require a budget amendment which requires a public meeting.

Council member Dickey commented to the effect that she thought the compensation might be too much and that the Bingen City Council should have been notified earlier regarding the contract. It was noted that the contract calls for a salary for the chief that would be $11,000 higher than the former chief received.

Council member Betty Barnes commented that the council had taken the position some time ago that it did not want the police chief to have a contract but wanted the chief to be protected by civil service. Barnes also expressed concern that the severance package could have adverse financial consequences for Bingen. City counsel Tad Connors stated that to the extent Judge Gavin’s recent ruling in the White Salmon and Richard Cortese was good law, all police chiefs in the state of Washington should insist on a contract requiring termination only for good cause because the civil service protection requiring cause for termination could be withdrawn by a city council at any time. Tad Connors also stated that certainly White Salmon and any prospective White Salmon  police chief should treat that decision as good law now.

Council member Tim Hearn stated that he felt the contract negotiations were a personnel matter between the City of White Salmon and Bruce Brending.

Council member Laura Mann stated that the City could address its concerns by modifying the Bingen-White Salmon interlocal police agreement. City counsel Tad Connors stated that pursuant to the present interlocal law enforcement agreement it is and will be the City of Bingen’s position that any severance pay or related compensation paid to the chief under the proposed contract would be solely White Salmon’s responsibility and not included in the budgeted police department costs shared by Bingen.

Council member Barnes noted that the Bingen Police Committee had been requesting a joint police committee meeting since October of 2006 and one had yet to occur. She suggested that the committees, rather than city staff, be responsible for setting up the joint committee meetings. Council member Laura Mann then suggested that, for now, the City should make no changes to the Bingen-White Salmon interlocal police agreement above and beyond those changes already memorialized and submitted to White Salmon.

No actions were proposed or taken by the council.

The council adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

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City Clerk                                                                    Mayor